Spiritual Reflections

I came to Loretto on Sept. 15, the feast of our Sorrowful Mother, and it went over my head. But back then our other major feast day, the celebration of…

Isaiah 43: 16-21 Phil. 3: 8-14 John 8:1-11 “Being forgiven by someone is nothing short of an amazing grace.“ In today’s readings we hear from the prophets Isaiah and Paul…

Luke 15: 1-3; 11-32 The story of the Prodigal Son is one of the most famous parables of Jesus.  Many of us could repeat this story almost verbatim.  The traditional…

Exodus 17:3-7             Romans 5:1-8             John 4:5-42 When speaking of the Scriptures, there is always a choice to be…

In all three cycles of Lenten readings the first Sunday is always the temptation in the desert, and the second Sunday is always the Transfiguration. They are like bookends: the…

The readings for this first Sunday of Lent are much too familiar to us. We have heard them over and over again throughout our lives. This is true especially of…

Today’s readings are full of sound advice. The same way we wait until the pot comes out of the kiln, we listen to the whole speech. Don’t rush to judgment.…

Sam.26:7-23/Cor.16:45-49/Luke 6:27-38 A drawing in the Missalette for this Sunday has Jesus speaking to the disciples. Jesus has his hand raised pointing at them as if to say, “I have…

The first reading is a timely reminder that in tough times we still have what we need, just like a deeply rooted tree planted near water, and we can effectively…

Isaiah 6:1-8, Luke 5:1-11 Today’s readings — the Isaiah reading and the section from Luke’s Gospel — present us with two people, Isaiah and Peter, at the very beginning of…

Mary and Joseph stand before Simeon who holds and blesses their infant son. Then he turns to Mary and tells her that her heart will be pierced with a sword…

Nehemiah 8:2-10     Corinthians 12:12-30    Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 Today’s liturgical readings might best be read in the opposite order.  The third reading, the Gospel, poses a question which…